ORANGE COUNTY NEWSWATCH

WORKING BACK: Some senior citizens are going back to work, convinced the good life of retirement doesn't live up to its billing (E1). And several agencies, like the all-volunteer Adult Careers in Irvine, are trying to help them. . . . "Some find they can't live on their retirement pay, others miss being productive and some just miss being around people," says Mary Moore of Adult Careers. One problem though: With most jobs scarce, placing seniors is getting more difficult.

GETTING IT STRAIGHT: Good books may be the key to truth, but at the San Juan Capistrano Regional Library, officials believe the answering machine can play a role too. Call the library in off hours and you'll hear this caustic message: "Operating hours at all branches will be cut back due to budget cuts imposed by the California state Legislature." . . . Now the library and its branches don't open until noon on Wednesdays and Thursdays and are closed Fridays.

SUPER COMFORT: The SuperBus arrived here last week, but only on a trial basis to work out any kinks. Eight of the new county buses, which look more like Mack trucks--the driver is in a separate cab--will be in operation next February. The preview bus has been running up and down Harbor Boulevard three times a day. . . . The report? "Passengers love it," says county buses director John Catoe. "There's plenty of head room, the ride is smoother, quieter. You don't feel boxed in."

TEACHERS' AID: The Santa Ana Unified School District did not expect the 1992-93 school year to produce the kind of financial contributions it got the year before, when some unexpected donations put the total at nearly $750,000. But the past year wasn't bad either, district officials say--almost $500,000 in gifts and monetary contributions. Says board President Richard C. Hernandez: "That is outstanding in terms of the commitment of the community to the district."